Cabaret Casting Announcement

Kim Medcalf, Honor Blackman and Francis Matthews to join the Olivier Award Winning company of ‘Cabaret’

The new cast members will join Rufus Norris’ critically acclaimed revival from April 2007 at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue.

Kim Medcalf will replace Anna Maxwell Martin in the lead role of Sally Bowles. Kim is best known to the nation for her role as Sam Mitchell in

BBC 1’s Eastenders (Kim was awarded Best Newcomer at the NTA Awards in 2000). Since leaving the programme, Kim has been busy back on boards appearing in Phyllida Lloyd’s production of The Penelopiad and, most recently, Hay Fever at the Haymarket Theatre alongside Judi Dench.

Honor Blackman will replace Sheila Hancock in the role of Fraulein Schneider. Star of film, television and stage, Honor Blackman is a British acting legend. She first rose to public attention as one of the original stars of The Avengers (Honor won a BAFTA Special Award in 2000 for her role in show). Over the years Honor has appeared in hundreds of roles on screen, most notably as the iconic Pussy Galore in Goldfinger. Most recently on stage Honor has been touring Trevor Nunn’s production of My Fair Lady and Roger Redfarn’s The King Fisher.

Francis Matthews will replace Geoffrey Hutchings in the role of Herr Schultz. Francis is best known for his portrayal of Dr. James Always in ITV 1’s Heartbeat and The Royal. He has recently toured with fellow new Cabaret star Honor Blackman in Roger Redfarn’s The King Fisher.

Staying on with the show will be James Dreyfus as Emcee, Michael Hayden as Cliff Bradshaw, Harriet Thorpe as Fraulein Kost and Andrew Maud as Ernst Ludwig.

Playing to packed audiences at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, Cabaret was gloriously welcomed back to the West End with rave reviews in October 2006.

‘Let’s get one thing absolutely straight. Rufus Norris’ production is the most stunningly fresh and imaginative revival of a classic musical that I ever seen.’ - Paul Taylor, The Independent

‘A compelling production that works on every level.’ - Tim Walker, The Sunday Telegraph

‘I find it overwhelming!’ - Nicholas de Jongh, Evening Standard

Cabaret recently won two Laurence Olivier Awards – Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Sheila Hancock Best Theatre Choreographer for Javier De Frutos.

Kander and Ebb’s landmark musical turns Weimar Berlin of 1931 into a dark and sexually charged haven of decadence, its extraordinary and morally ambiguous inhabitants determined to keep up appearances as the real world - outside the comfortable sanctuary of the cabaret - prepares for the nightmarish chaos of war.

Cabaret is produced by Bill Kenwright. Rufus Norris directs, designs are by Katrina Lindsay with choreography by Javier De Frutos, lighting by Jean Kalman and the Musical Director is David Steadman.